HI-MACS® was integral to the new design, helping the architects achieve their overall aim. The librarian’s desk, which is made from HI-MACS®, has a frame that holds a staggering 875 books. HI-MACS® is a popular choice when architects and designers are specifying public areas as it’s extremely hygienic, easy to clean and can be seamlessly joined so there is nowhere for dirt and germs to hide – perfect for an environment filled daily with hundreds of children. Additional attributes of this flexible material are that it can be thermoformed to create curves and is easy to maintain and repair if necessary.
The revamped interior has transformed a dark, dreary space that was cluttered with desks, chairs and random pieces of furniture into a bold, colourful environment that brings character and joy back into learning. The design evolved from discussions with teachers and pupils at an early stage of the design process. The brief was to create a state-of-the-art, light-filled contemporary children’s library with inherent flexibility to respond to the needs of both current and future staff and pupils.
Situated on the ground floor of the school’s Grade II listed Victorian building, the new library comprises white walls, white vaulted ceilings and new contemporary downlights. One of its focal points is a map of Narnia, the fictitious land from CS Lewis’s classic novel, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, which is beautifully illustrated across the full width of the white resin floor.
Additional design features include a cosy royal blue alcove with curved steps, perfect for reading and storytelling, and oversized circular upholstered seats in fuchsia pink and royal blue. Low-level mobile units encourage pupils to rummage through the extensive collection of books, while quotes above the bookshelves provide inspiration and direct young readers towards classic authors.
Window reveals were clad with joinery incorporating bookcases while a freeflowing, organic seating feature forms a series of overscaled perches for children to sit and read beneath the natural light flooding in from the south.
Phil Ward, Headmaster of Thomas’s London Day School, says, "The transformation of what was easily the bleakest and most pessimistic area in our school to one which draws the children towards it at every opportunity is astonishing. Hugh and his team have given us a fabulous and deeply impressive facility, and a library which blends the best of a traditional library with digital technologies and an aura of the magical, which fits perfectly with our commitment to providing the children in our school with an exciting and stimulating C21 learning environment. We are thrilled and enormously grateful."
Hugh Broughton of Hugh Broughton Architects adds, "The new library reflects the progressive approach to education, which is a key feature of Thomas’s. It was a real joy to work with the client team on this project; they were so enthusiastic and encouraging from start to finish. The resultant space – bright, white and animated with numerous elements of fun – is a testament to their commitment to delivering the best learning environments for their pupils."
Hugh Broughton Architects was formed in 1996 and has developed a reputation for carefully crafted contemporary architecture. The practice has designed projects for many high profile clients including the British Council, The National Galleries of Scotland, The Henry Moore Foundation and the TUC. Maidstone Museum East Wing, which the practice completed in 2012, received an RIBA award, three AJ Retrofit awards and a Civic Trust Commendation. Halley VI Antarctic Research Station on the Brunt Ice Shelf, designed with AECOM for British Antarctic Survey, was officially launched in 2013 and has received thirteen international awards to date. It is an extraordinary project, which has led to numerous other international polar commissions. The practiceʼs new gallery for the Portland Collection on the Welbeck Estate in Nottingham for the Harley Foundation, and construction of the redevelopment of the Henry Moore Foundation, are currently on site.
Design: Hugh Broughton Architects www.hbarchitects.co.uk
HI-MACS® Fabrication: John Weaver Furniture johnweaverltd.co.uk
Material: HI-MACS® Alpine White www.himacs.eu
Photography: © Carlos Dominguez Photography
